China accuses Soviets of distorting border dispute

January 24, 1983

China said Sunday it had no territorial claims on the Soviet Union and accused the Soviet press of intentionally distorting its stand on the Communist neighbors' long-standing border dispute.

An official magazine commentary rejected a Soviet charge that China was reviving old claims to Soviet territory and using the issue to block progress towards better relations.

Peking and Moscow opened talks last year on improving relations, which have been frigid since they split over ideology two decades ago.